Khosa asks Shahbaz to shun intolerance

LAHORE - Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa on Friday equated Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif with General Musharraf, saying that he was acting like a dictator in performance of his duties as chief executive of the province. “Musharraf was a dictator in uniform, whereas Shahbaz Sharif is a dictator without uniform,” he said while speaking at the reopening ceremony of Kot Lakhpat fruit market here. He said that CM would not attend Punjab Assembly sessions terming its members as uncivilised much like Gen Musharraf who also held similar views about the elected assemblies. Khosa asked the chief minister to shun intolerance and behave like a politician. Governor said that Sharif brothers viewed Raiwind and Model Town as something different from Lahore, Punjab and Pakistan. He also accused them of spending Rs500 million for installation of railings along the canal and Rs4 billion on Kalma Chowk flyover. He was of the view that Sharifs were earning public hatred by spending only on the roads leading to their residences. The governor also held them responsible for introducing money factor in country’s politics. He also went on to say that Sharifs had been into the business of buying loyalties of the judges and also attacked the Supreme Court once. “I wonder how they are now asking us to respect judiciary”, he remarked, adding that PPP government had always implemented the court orders despite the fact that it did not get any justice in the Bhutto case. It was an occasion for the fruit and vegetable dealers to celebrate their victory against Punjab government which had earlier evicted them forcibly from the market, but court allowed them to continue their business at the same place after litigation. Their leaders alleged that Punjab government was not implementing court orders regarding demolishment of the walls it had erected to stop the passage to the market. They also sought governor’s support in repairing the roads and lights damaged by the state machinery during the eviction process. Shahbaz flays Para Channar attack: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the suicide attack in Para Channar and expressed his sympathies with the families of the victims. He prayed that may Allah Almighty rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage and strength to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss with fortitude.